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Job picture emboldens more to rejoin hunt for work

Published: Friday, March 28, 2014 at 10:35 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 28, 2014 at 4:54 p.m.

Unemployment rates in Southwest Florida and the state have gone into a balancing act, as improved job opportunities and rising payroll numbers are encouraging previously discouraged workers to come back into the labor force.

The three-county area's collective jobless rate in February was 6 percent, down slightly from 6.1 percent in January. The first month of the year had seen unemployment rise nearly a half-percentage point as businesses cut holiday-inspired hires and as more people entered the search for work.

A year ago, the collective rate stood at 7.5 percent.

Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February was unchanged form the month before at 6.2 percent, and was 1.7 percentage points lower than a year ago.

The February numbers may provide a sneak preview for how the labor market in Florida will perform for the rest of the year, says University of Central Florida economist Sean Snaith.

“It's shaping up to be a feel-good movie,” Snaith said. “The lead actor is solid payroll job growth across sectors, and its sidekick will be an unemployment rate increasingly difficult to bring down as labor force growth is boosted by increased hiring for businesses.”

There were nearly 3,000 more people in Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties who identified themselves as looking for work last month compared with January, a sign that workers believe there are opportunities to be had.

“In the Sarasota market specifically, March was better than February and February was better than January,” said Jennifer Kochilaris, regional vice president for Adecco, a staffing firm with a major Florida presence.

While Adecco of Sarasota has been asked by employers to fill a variety of positions, Kochilaris says she takes particular encouragement from the current demand to fill the administrative assistant role.

“You don't see that role added unless you are growing,” she said. “That is a great thing for us to see. It just means that companies are starting to thrive again.”

“Today, there are jobs,” said Nancee Sussman, Swanson Staffing's manager in Sarasota. “Most of them are temp-to-hire.”

That means the employer agrees to hire the worker for three to six months, holding on to them and offering benefits after that, if the arrangement works out.

Demand is heaviest for skilled production workers, she said.

One of those is Clark Klingbeil, who was among the 350 workers laid off one year ago when fire-truck maker Pierce Manufacturing in Manatee County discontinued its ambulance production.

By July, Klingbeil got back on his feet with a job as a carpenter at JRL/Marine Concepts, which has taken over the former Wellcraft boat-building plant off Whitfield Road in Manatee County. The company helps boat makers by designing and building the fiberglass shapes that become hulls and decks.

Klingbeil, with 10 years of carpentry experience prior to working at Pierce, makes the large wooden structures that are the skeletons of the inside of the boat mold.

“I think there are a dozen guys from Pierce that we have hired,” said Matt Chambers, president of JRL Ventures/Marine Concepts.

JRL Ventures/Marine Concepts started hiring at the newly refurbished plant 13 months ago, and now has a payroll of 105, Chambers said.

Revenues for both non-marine mold-making and for the boat related work that Klingbeil does are running more than 20 percent higher than a year ago, Chambers said.

This summer's labor force will grow as young people finishing college or high school seek jobs.

On the other hand, adding to demand in the near future is the $315 million University Town Center.

Scheduled to open in October, the combined employers there are expected to hire roughly 2,000 workers: jobs from janitors to sales clerks to managers.

CareerSource Suncoast is “going to be helping them fill those positions,” said spokeswoman Sally Hill said.

Builders, meanwhile, are still scrounging for workers.

In Sarasota and Manatee Counties, the number hired rose from 1,000 from a year ago to 17,000. Statewide, there are now 39,200 more construction jobs than a year ago.

In this region, the percentage change in construction was 6.3 percent, “which was higher than any other industry,” Hill said.

Statewide, the industry “is still more than 25 percent smaller than it was,” said Dr. Hank Fishkind, an Orlando economist who consults on residential and commercial projects around the state.

What bodes well for the industry going forward, he said, are the fresh mid-2013 Census Bureau numbers published earlier this week.

“We have had significant increase in population growth, especially on the west coast,” Fishkind said. “Every single metro area from Tampa all the way to Naples now has seen very strong population growth, based on the latest Census numbers. Most of that growth has been the in-movement of retirees.”

While the trend will not continue forever, Fishkind sees Florida experiencing continued strong population growth for at least the next year to 18 months.

“Interest rates are certainly going up, but for the moment, the improving economy and horrible winter weather are going to offset rising rates,” he said.

EARLIER: The unemployment rate in Southwest Florida eased in February even as there were additional signs of hope in the form of a growing labor force.

There were nearly 3,000 more people in Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties who identified themselves as looking for work last month compared with January, a sign that workers believe there are opportunities to be had.

The labor force as measured by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity was 389,948 last month, up 2,792 from the same measure in a chilly January.

Workers who are not actively seeking a job are not included in the labor force. That has been part of the reason for Florida's declining unemployment rate: discouraged workers sitting on the sidelines waiting for a better economic environment.

The three-county area's collective jobless rate in February was 6 percent, down slightly from 6.1 percent in January. The first month of the year had seen unemployment rise nearly a half-percentage point as businesses cut holiday-inspired hires and as more people entered the search for work.

A year ago, the collective rate stood at 7.5 percent.

During February, Sarasota County had the lowest jobless total in the region, at 6 percent. Manatee was second, at 6.1 percent. Charlotte County had 6.2 percent.

The current rate still means 23,737 people in the region are seeking a job. A year ago, it stood at 28,613.

<p>Unemployment rates in Southwest Florida and the state have gone into a balancing act, as improved job opportunities and rising payroll numbers are encouraging previously discouraged workers to come back into the labor force.</p><p>The three-county area's collective jobless rate in February was 6 percent, down slightly from 6.1 percent in January. The first month of the year had seen unemployment rise nearly a half-percentage point as businesses cut holiday-inspired hires and as more people entered the search for work.</p><p>A year ago, the collective rate stood at 7.5 percent.</p><p>Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February was unchanged form the month before at 6.2 percent, and was 1.7 percentage points lower than a year ago.</p><p>The February numbers may provide a sneak preview for how the labor market in Florida will perform for the rest of the year, says University of Central Florida economist Sean Snaith.</p><p>“It's shaping up to be a feel-good movie,” Snaith said. “The lead actor is solid payroll job growth across sectors, and its sidekick will be an unemployment rate increasingly difficult to bring down as labor force growth is boosted by increased hiring for businesses.”</p><p>There were nearly 3,000 more people in Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties who identified themselves as looking for work last month compared with January, a sign that workers believe there are opportunities to be had.</p><p>“In the Sarasota market specifically, March was better than February and February was better than January,” said Jennifer Kochilaris, regional vice president for Adecco, a staffing firm with a major Florida presence.</p><p>While Adecco of Sarasota has been asked by employers to fill a variety of positions, Kochilaris says she takes particular encouragement from the current demand to fill the administrative assistant role.</p><p>“You don't see that role added unless you are growing,” she said. “That is a great thing for us to see. It just means that companies are starting to thrive again.”</p><p>“Today, there are jobs,” said Nancee Sussman, Swanson Staffing's manager in Sarasota. “Most of them are temp-to-hire.”</p><p>That means the employer agrees to hire the worker for three to six months, holding on to them and offering benefits after that, if the arrangement works out.</p><p>Demand is heaviest for skilled production workers, she said.</p><p>One of those is Clark Klingbeil, who was among the 350 workers laid off one year ago when fire-truck maker Pierce Manufacturing in Manatee County discontinued its ambulance production.</p><p>By July, Klingbeil got back on his feet with a job as a carpenter at JRL/Marine Concepts, which has taken over the former Wellcraft boat-building plant off Whitfield Road in Manatee County. The company helps boat makers by designing and building the fiberglass shapes that become hulls and decks.</p><p>Klingbeil, with 10 years of carpentry experience prior to working at Pierce, makes the large wooden structures that are the skeletons of the inside of the boat mold.</p><p>“I think there are a dozen guys from Pierce that we have hired,” said Matt Chambers, president of JRL Ventures/Marine Concepts.</p><p>JRL Ventures/Marine Concepts started hiring at the newly refurbished plant 13 months ago, and now has a payroll of 105, Chambers said.</p><p>Revenues for both non-marine mold-making and for the boat related work that Klingbeil does are running more than 20 percent higher than a year ago, Chambers said.</p><p>This summer's labor force will grow as young people finishing college or high school seek jobs.</p><p>On the other hand, adding to demand in the near future is the $315 million University Town Center.</p><p>Scheduled to open in October, the combined employers there are expected to hire roughly 2,000 workers: jobs from janitors to sales clerks to managers.</p><p>CareerSource Suncoast is “going to be helping them fill those positions,” said spokeswoman Sally Hill said.</p><p>Builders, meanwhile, are still scrounging for workers.</p><p>In Sarasota and Manatee Counties, the number hired rose from 1,000 from a year ago to 17,000. Statewide, there are now 39,200 more construction jobs than a year ago.</p><p>In this region, the percentage change in construction was 6.3 percent, “which was higher than any other industry,” Hill said.</p><p>Statewide, the industry “is still more than 25 percent smaller than it was,” said Dr. Hank Fishkind, an Orlando economist who consults on residential and commercial projects around the state.</p><p>What bodes well for the industry going forward, he said, are the fresh mid-2013 Census Bureau numbers published earlier this week.</p><p>“We have had significant increase in population growth, especially on the west coast,” Fishkind said. “Every single metro area from Tampa all the way to Naples now has seen very strong population growth, based on the latest Census numbers. Most of that growth has been the in-movement of retirees.”</p><p>While the trend will not continue forever, Fishkind sees Florida experiencing continued strong population growth for at least the next year to 18 months.</p><p>“Interest rates are certainly going up, but for the moment, the improving economy and horrible winter weather are going to offset rising rates,” he said.</p><p>EARLIER: The unemployment rate in Southwest Florida eased in February even as there were additional signs of hope in the form of a growing labor force. </p><p>There were nearly 3,000 more people in Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties who identified themselves as looking for work last month compared with January, a sign that workers believe there are opportunities to be had.</p><p>The labor force as measured by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity was 389,948 last month, up 2,792 from the same measure in a chilly January.</p><p>Workers who are not actively seeking a job are not included in the labor force. That has been part of the reason for Florida's declining unemployment rate: discouraged workers sitting on the sidelines waiting for a better economic environment.</p><p>The three-county area's collective jobless rate in February was 6 percent, down slightly from 6.1 percent in January. The first month of the year had seen unemployment rise nearly a half-percentage point as businesses cut holiday-inspired hires and as more people entered the search for work.</p><p>A year ago, the collective rate stood at 7.5 percent.</p><p>During February, Sarasota County had the lowest jobless total in the region, at 6 percent. Manatee was second, at 6.1 percent. Charlotte County had 6.2 percent.</p><p>The current rate still means 23,737 people in the region are seeking a job. A year ago, it stood at 28,613.</p>